Conventional pads tend to absorb and muffle the tone of wind instruments. The present invention offers improvements over conventional pads because it uses a surface that is more sound reflective than the surface used by conventional pads. Conventional flute pads use gut skin and conventional sax pads use leather. These materials are not ideal for sound production. It has been found that harder pads are more sound reflective. This applies to the thickness/hardness of the cushion as well as to the sealing surface that engages with the tonehole. Unfortunately it is not possible to make a hard closing surface without making the key closing noise unduly loud, so compromises are made. Pliant films with hard skins have not been available to use in the wind instrument industry. It is for that reason that the wind instrument industry has been using the same basic materials for many years. In order to make a new pad attractive to the industry, it must provide good (preferably improved) tone. It is also beneficial if the new pad is visually attractive.
Conventional pads have a skin that is wrapped and glued to the back side. An improved design would use an alternative method of securing the skin to the pad cushion while creating a smooth flat surface on the pad surface that engages with the tonehole of a musical wind instrument.
Conventional pads experience a common problem of stickiness because the pad sealing surface can adhere temporarily to the corresponding tonehole. The present invention is provided with a lubricant that prevents this sticking problem.